north florida - wild florida

06:50, 45f, foggy. roosters hollarin'. guardian perky out by truck. brief walk with pup. donkeys complaining. chilly out. got almost 2" of rain yesterday.10:00, 45f, gray, mizzling. 3 year old eagle huddling in dead pine along 345. ditches are full and the ponds in the pastures overflowing again. the folks who lived at the farm with the cows, horses, donkeys, geese, goats, and the llama have packed up and left, lock, stock, and barrel. their neighbors with the barrel-racing horses are still hanging on but seem to have a bit higher ground.10:30, mid tide rising at CK. cormorants at oyster bar. north wind, 8 knts. 45f. bone-chilling cold with the wind off the water. fed cat something extra. untangled and perused a soaking wet trawl in the back of the boat. took a while with very cold hands in the cold wind. dumped water out of the trawls from the rain yesterday. cat helped, up on the boat in the cold wind. good cat! mended big seine, huddled behind its box. 16:00, mid-tide at #4 bridge. gulls and a heron at the oyster bar. white pelicans to the east on shell bars. NW wind, 8 knts. 48f. overcast. fed cat again. a lot of tourists downtown (?). one passed me at the post office and said, "welcome to antarctica." which I thought was inappropriate. we are much better off than those folks up north.18:00, 47f, overcast. cold north breeze. hay to all. got 1 egg. only the vaguely damp guardian seems comfortable today. building a little fire in the fireplace.21:30, 45f, clearing! waxing almost half moon setting over the falling-down horse barn! haven't seen the moon in days. guardian down by front gate barking. pup wants to help. woodsmoke in the air. good night, moon..